More public engagement is promised as the council begins the process of reviewing the Local Development Plan.
The pledge came at the most recent meeting of Full Council, in response to a public question submitted by John Grimmer, who said: “Save the Freshney Valley protesters have demonstrated at every Full Council meeting for more than two years now to show their strong opposition to the proposed housing development in Grimsby West. Residents from two wards who are against the development have used their votes at the last two council elections to overwhelmingly vote in, so far, three new independent councillors who vigorously oppose the unpopular planned development.
“The Save the Freshney Valley group has a membership of more than 2000 people and is still growing. We have clearly shown that the development is not wanted, and it obviously is not needed. The North East Lincolnshire five-year housing land supply assessment for 2023 currently has plans for more than 13 years’ supply of houses, instead of just the five years required.
“All these extra houses are not needed, and we will go on demonstrating against the over-development and needless destruction of our precious countryside that can never be replaced.
“Will this council please listen to the surveys, to the voters, to the local statistics and to our protest group when reviewing the Local Plan and remove the unnecessary Grimsby West development from the plan?”
Council leader Philip Jackson responded: “The council has commenced the Local Development Plan review process and Cabinet recently agreed the timetable. We are looking forward to more public engagement with this review process than when drawing up the current Local Plan pre-2018. We will, of course, listen and take account of people’s views but there is a full range of evidence to consider when reviewing the plan.
“We are currently able to demonstrate a 13-year supply of housing land only because, once the Local Plan is five years old, the annual housing target reverts to the Government’s baseline figure. This takes no account of any growth in the local economy or many other local factors. That’s why it’s premature to say that the Grimsby West site ‘obviously is not needed’, in Mr Grimmer’s words, and it would be wrong of me to pre-empt the outcome of the review process.”
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